Juneau man gets DUI on raft in Chena River
by Sam Friedman/sfriedman@newsminer.com
Aug 01, 2012
FAIRBANKS — A Juneau man faces a rare DUI charge for allegedly having a 0.313 breath-alcohol content as he floated through Fairbanks on an inflatable raft Sunday night.

Alaska’s driving under the influence law applies to people operating motor vehicles, water craft and airplanes. The vast majority of charges are for terrestrial motor vehicles.

But when Alaska State Troopers received a report of a “heavily intoxicated” man floating down the Chena River near the Parks Highway bridge at 6:40 p.m. Sunday, a wildlife trooper boat responded and arrested 32-year-old William Modene.

“Modene had been floating on the river for the day and consuming alcoholic beverages the entire time,” troopers wrote in their “daily dispatches” log on their website.

At 0.313, Modene’s breath-alcohol content was almost four times the legal limit for operating a vehicle, 0.08.

Given that most people who float must then drive, even if the charges get dropped, putting that dood in the cooler to sober up before he got behind the wheel was probably a good use of public resources.

Upsetter wrote:Given that most people who float must then drive, even if the charges get dropped, putting that dood in the cooler to sober up before he got behind the wheel was probably a good use of public resources.

Agreed.

"Most of my money I spent on whiskey and women. The rest I just wasted." locogringo

If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest, or some guy on television telling you how to do your shit, then you deserve it.
- Frank Zappa

AK has weird rules about DWI. I had a friend get a DUI while waterskiing. Not driving the boat....he was on the skis. Basically if you are in a mode of transportation/conveyance and under teh influence, you can get a ticket. The way it was explained to me was that his actions, which were affected by alcohol, could have harmed others.

Davidson County deputies are investigating an overnight shooting and attempted armed robbery that Sheriff David Grice said is related to an Internet hookup.

Deputies responded around 1:15 a.m. Friday to a home at 213 Park Avenue after a report of a robbery in progress.

Three people were shot in connection with the incident, Grice said. All three remain in the hospital, though only one is in serious condition at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Grice said.

Names won't be released until an arrest is made and charges are filed, Grice said.

An 18-year-old woman had gone to the home around 12:30 a.m. after the two had met on an Internet site, Grice said.

Grice didn't specifically identify the site in a news conference but warned people about meeting people on the Internet.

"I understand there's some legitimate websites, and there some websites that aren't so legitimate," Grice said. "I just say that you have to use caution when you're interacting with anybody on a website that you’re not looking at face to face."

About 30 minutes later, a masked and armed man pushed his way into the home and held the 53-year-old homeowner at gunpoint, Grice said.

The homeowner was able to push the suspect out of the home after a scuffle, Grice said. However, the suspect shot through the door and the homeowner was struck with gunfire, Grice said.

The homeowner then got a gun of his own and shot both the woman and the suspect as they left together in a vehicle, Grice said.